Scorched Shores

A Cool Night's Breeze

Night was quickly falling. Darkness engulfed the island, leaving the Caribbean sunset as the only source of light. Orange faded into yellow. The sky cradled the sun just below the tops of the tropical palm trees. The giant yellow orb slowly descended into the sea, leaving a soothing purple moonrise. All of the sound slowly died down. Native birds ceased to call. All that could be heard was the wind's whisper through the leaves of the towering trees above.

The silence was calming. A sense she hadn't felt in a while. It felt welcoming.

She closed her eyes and rested, unable to fall into a true sleep. The wind gently played with her hair, picking it up and carrying it across her face before dropping it. A small smile spread across her face.

She crossed her arms and held them close to herself to preserve warmth; it was slowly, but undoubtedly, getting cooler. She didn't have any shelter and no additional clothing, nor did she have the materials to build a fire.

The wind hadn't picked up any more than it had earlier, yet it felt cooler already.

A cool breath of wind brushed up the back of her neck, sending chills down her spine. Her hair stood on end.

"Damn, it's gotten awfully cold," she stated to no one in particular. "Hmm."

She thought for a moment and then slowly got up, using the rock she'd been sitting on as a guide to ensure her balance had come back.

Now hydrated, she could see much better, and she was able to get up and walk, which also meant she could be much more productive.

She walked around the neighboring area, careful not to wander too far from where she'd been; she didn't know what could be out there, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. Not now, at least.

She kicked at some large leaves that were sprouting from the ground. Big, round, concave leaves that were nearly half her size.

"Perfect," she said.

She freed a few of the leaves and collected them inside each other to preserve space. She returned to the rocks, a bit of happiness in her stride with her new findings.

She placed two of the leaves on top of the rock and laid down on top of them. She pulled the remaining two leaves on top of herself and tucked the edges in underneath her, pulling them as close to herself as she could get. She welcomed this new warmth with a sigh of relief and a smile.